Draft-rigging.



No. 636,039. Patented Oct. 3|, |899. L. A. HOERR.

DRAFT RIGGING.

(Application ledmay 1, 1899.)

(No Model.)

'y i n s UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE..

LOUIS A. IIOERR, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

DRAFT-RIGGING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 636,039, dated October 31, 1899.

Application filed May 1,1899.' Serial No. 715.148. (No model.)

'o all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, LOUIS A. I-IOERR, a citizen of the United States, residing at St. Louis, in the State of Missouri, have invented'certain new and useful Improvements in Draft-Rigging, of which the following is a specification.

My improvements relate mainly to draftriggings for freight-cars; and the chief object of my improvements is to provide a form of draft-riggin g especially suitable for furniturecars and which will be lighter and cheaper than prior constructions and will be so formed as to enable the draft and buffer springs to be readily replaced in case of breakage. I secure this object by mechanism whose preferred form is illustrated in the accompany-y ing drawings, in which- Figure l is a vertical longitudinal section through a portion of a car, showing my draftrigging in position. Fig. 2 is a partial plan view of two parts shown in Fig. l, except the decking, which is omitted. Figs. 3, 4, and 5 are enlarged isometric projections of details.

Similar letters refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

A represents the car-decking, B an end sill, O the end sheathing, D the dead-wood, E the dead-wood protector, F a coupler-bearing, and G draft-timbers, all of common form. A

H represents a draw-bar of a coupler of common form. It is preferably but not necessarily provided on the upper and lower sides thereof, near its rear end, with shoulders 72,.

H is a draw-bar bolt of common form and may be secured to the draw-bar Hin the usual manner, as shown; but such connection is not essential.

I is a bearing-block having a central opening fi, through which the draw-bar bolt.H' passes and reciprocates. It is preferably provided with vertical ribs 2, which enter vertical recesses g in the draft-timbers G, and it is preferably secured in position partly by said ribs and in part by one or more bolts J passing through it and the draft-timbers G transversely; but any other suitable means for securing it in place may be substituted for those shown without departing from my invention. The top and bottom of said block are preferably provided with suitable strapguides i3. y

K and K are the usual draft and buffer springs, arranged upon opposite sides of the bearing-block I.

L and L are a pair of straps arranged one above and one below the block I and attached at their forward ends to the rear end of the draw-bar H. Though in practice the form of strap shown is found a desirable one, the form in cross-section of said straps is immaterial, so far as my invention is concerned. Though in practice they have not been made integral with the draw-bar, it is immaterial whether they are or not. Any suitable means of attachment to the draw-bar may be used where the straps are not formed integral therewith; but I prefer to form a crook l on the forward end of each strap and secure the straps in place by rivets Z or other suitable means, so that the crooks Zwill engage the draw bar shoulders h. The straps L are shown connected at their rear ends Z2 by means adapted to prevent the backward escape of the draft-spring K. The means for connecting the rear ends of the straps L should be of such a character as to permit of their being either so moved or adjusted as to permit of they outward passage of 'the springs K between the rear ends of the straps when the removal of said springs or either of them becomes desirable.

In the preferred form of my device the draft-springs K rest at their rear ends against a follower-plate N, preferably provided with a central forwardly-projecting part n, designed to assist in holding the rear ends of the draft-springs in position, a spring-seat n', and at the rear thereof a keyway n2. The keyway n2 is preferably but not necessarily formed by a pair of parallel vertical backwardly-extending Webs n3, so spaced as to leave the keyway between them, and preferably each braced laterally by a web n4. The follower-plate N is held in position in part by the draft-spring K, which is preferably introduced under compression, and in part by a key O and a T-bolt O', which both 'pass up into position through slots o in the ythe top of the strap L and its lower end about flush with the under side of the strap L.

IOO

The bolt O' is preferably a square T-bolt. One side o' of its head is preferably larger than the other, 02, and the total length of the head and its width are preferably such as to enable it to pass up through the slots 0, so that it can be inserted from beneath. Its lower end o3 is preferably screw-threaded and provided with a nut 04, whose escape may be prevented by a set-screw.

In pulling the parts in place the springs and the follower-plate are preferably first inserted. Then the bolt O' is passed upward through the slots o into position, with the long end o of its head extending forward. Then the key O is inserted and the nut 04 screwed into the bolt.

I prefer to arrange the key O in front in the keyway n2 and the bolt O' back of it, as shown; but, as will be obvious, the bolt may be arranged in front of the key and take its place in the keyway n2, if desired.

I claiml. The combination with a draw-bar, of a pair of slotted straps carried thereby, a draftspring between said straps, a follower-plate for said draft-springs, a bolt provided with a head adapted to pass through the slots in said straps from below, and a key for securing said bolt in position.

2. 'lhe combination with a draw-bar, of a pair of slotted straps carried thereby, a draftspring between said straps, a follower-plate for said spring and provided with a rearwardly-opening keyway, a T-shaped bolt the head of which is adapted to pass through the Slots in said straps from below, and a key passing through the keyway in said followerplate and the slots in said straps to secure said bolt in position and retain said followerplate.

3. The combination of a bearing-block having a passage through it; a draft-spring back of said block, a draw-bar; a draw-bar bolt reciprocating through said bearing-block; a pair of straps, one above and one below said block, and each attached at the front end to said draw-bar; and removable means for preventing the escape of said draft-spring between the rear ends of said straps.

4. The combination of a pair of draft-timbers; a bearing block, having a passage through it; means for fastening said block to said timbers; a draw-bar; a bolt reciprocating through said bearing-block; a pair of straps arranged one above and one below said block, and each having its front end attached to said draw-bar; a draft and a buffer spring arranged one before and the other behind said block and between said straps; and removable means for connecting the rear ends of said straps and preventing the rearward escape of said draft-spring.

5. The combination of a pair of draft-timbers; a bearing block, having a passage through it; means for fastening said block to said timbers, a bolt reciprocating in said passage in said block; a draw-bar; parts attached at the front end to said draw-bar, and extending back one above and one below said bearing-block; a draft-spring and a bufferspring arranged between said backwardlyprojecting parts, one in front and one behind the bearing-block, a follower-plate; and removable means connecting the rear ends of said backwardly-projecting parts and preventing the rearward escape of said followerplate.

LOUIS A. HOE RR.

Witnesses:

C. D. GREENE, Jr., BENJ. F. REX. 

